The present invention relates generally to a holder for the commercial display of Christmas trees in spaced apart standing relation, and which permits ease of inspection of each tree by prospective purchasers, and facilitates removal of each tree as sold, and replacement by another tree.
It has heretofore been known in the prior art to provide a variety of individual type holders for Christmas trees, which are of relatively complex and expensive design, and while these holders may meet the needs of an individual for home use, such holders would indeed be too expensive and uneconomical for the commercial display and marketing of a considerable number of Christmas trees.
It has also heretofore been suggested in U.S. Pat. No. 3,966,153 to provide a holding structure which is susceptible of use for the commercial marketing display of a plurality of Christmas trees. The disclosed structure according to this patent utilizes horizontally disposed lumber framing members joined by pairs of specially formed brackets which interconnect the framing members at corner intersections thereof, the lower bracket of each pair having an upstruck fastener for impalement of the tree butt and the upper bracket having an upwardly open slot to receive and interengage a broad-headed nail, or the like, preset in the side of the tree trunk near the butt. The structure of this patent has the obvious undesirable disadvantage in that the framing structure constitutes a potential danger to the purchasing public, who could accidentally stumble or trip over the framing and be injured.
In the present invention, it is proposed to provide a single holder structure by means of which a plurality of Christmas trees may be supported in spaced standing positions in a manner enabling inspection by prospective purchaser on all sides of the tree, and which is of a construction such that the usual wooden supporting bases, as usually provided for each tree, may be eliminated. In a holder according to the present invention, it is an important consideration that the walking area around each displayed tree is free of obstacles and parts of the tree supporting holder that might provide a potential hazard to the health and safety of a prospective purchaser while inspecting a tree. Another important consideration in the present invention is that the elevated arm for supporting each tree is hinged to a main central post, and, when not being utilized to support a tree, is foldable to an out-of-the-way position in which it will not interfere with the prospective purchaser's inspection of the other supported trees.